1. Field of the Invention
An animal mattress formed from an extremely durable, light-weight material which is impervious to liquid and the absorption of heat and including a cushion material contained within an outer casing specifically adapted to provide a dry, comfortable resting surface which evenly distributes an animal's weight throughout the surface of the mattress.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous animal mattresses in the prior art which are used to provide a comfortable resting surface for an animal to lie on. Most of the animal mattresses in the prior art include an outer casing or shell structure formed from a cotton blend or polyester blend material, wherein the casing is filled with a cushioning material of either cotton, polyester, or foam. While these mattresses may provide a comfortable resting surface for the animal, they also absorb quite a bit of liquid including rain water, urine, animal saliva, and various other spilled substances to the point where the mattress becomes saturated and begins to deteriorate or rot. Once these mattresses become saturated with such liquids, it is extremely difficult and sometimes impossible to thorough clean them.
Over a period of time, the mattresses, begin to promote bacterial growth due to the build up of moisture and heat. This, in turn, leads to an extremely unhealthy environment for the animal to be lying on, and often causes severe rashes and other related skin conditions.
Another problem associated with the mattresses of the prior art is the nesting of fleas and ticks within the cushioning material of the mattress. As these mattresses absorb water and other organic substances, they begin to develop into an ideal environment for fleas and ticks to live for extended periods of time. The body heat absorbed from the animal lying thereon also provides an excellent breeding environment for fleas, ticks, and other parasites which eventually attack the animal lying on the mattress.
In addition to the mattresses having a cotton blend or polyester blend outer casing, there are also mattresses which have vinyl casings or other similar material which is resistant to the penetration of water or other liquids. However, these mattresses still retain puddles of liquid on the resting surface and also absorb quite a bit of heat from the animal's body. Thus, if an animal such as a dog urinates on the mattress, the urine will be absorbed into the dog's coat instead of the mattress and, in any event, will create an unhealthy environment for the animal to lie in.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the animal care industry for a mattress which is extremely durable, light-weight, easy to clean, and structured so as to allow liquids, including urine, to pass therethrough without the mattress absorbing either moisture or heat.